Observations from the other side of mid-life

It’s a Maelie!

Last night I started writing what was sure to be a Pulitzer Prize winning blog on how I tried sushi for the first time yesterday and how it was…well…interesting, and how I was quite sure I’ll try it again.

Then I got “the text.”

Cassie’s contractions were 9-12 minutes apart. Because Cassie has a gift for birthing babies easily and quickly (emphasis on quickly), I knew I had to get over there. Fast.

I had a bag packed, my computer packed, my food packed (always mindful of the food) and enough gas in the Jeep to get me to Cassie’s that night and a gas station today. I loaded it all (well…) in the car, when within a half mile of Cassie’s I realized…I’d forgotten my damn bag!

“Cassie, it’s Mom,” I called, surprisingly calm. “I’m almost there. How far along are your contractions?”

“Eh,” she said in her carefree (Carefree??? She’s about to give birth!) way. “Seven, maybe 8 minutes.”

“I, um, forgot my bag. Would I have time to go back and get it?” I asked. (Some people stress eat. I stress forget.)

Much laughter on her end. Plenty of time, she said.

OK…Got to Cassie’s at 9:30. Matt put kids to bed. Claire insisted on seeing Grammy again. Grammy went upstairs and talked to Claire and tucked her in. Grammy went downstairs. Talked to Cassie. Matt fell asleep on the couch. Contractions were every 5 minutes. Claire got out of bed. Grammy went back up. Laid in bed with Claire until Claire (and nearly Grammy) fell asleep. Grammy went back downstairs. Matt was still sleeping. Contractions were 2 to 3 minutes apart (holy crap!). Cassie called the doctor. Cassie woke up Matt. After a Marx Brothers routine, they were out the door at 11. Grammy went to bed. Fell asleep around midnight. Phone rang at 12:30. Cassie was checked in. Dilated to 4. Text from Cassie at 3:00: “Epidural at 2:30. Very comfy.” Text from Matt at 6:30: “She’s ready to push!” One push later, baby was born at 6:36. Phone call from Cassie at 6:45. “Remember what you thought it would be?” she asked. “A boy,” I said. “It’s a girl!” she laughed.

World, meet Maelie Julianne, my third grandbaby and second granddaughter:

(And contrary to what a friend of mine says about all babies, she does NOT look like Winston Churchill.)

Maelie is 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and 22 inches long. She’s the “baby” of the family, kicking Luca up to middle child status, same as me. Her birth generated more text messages than I’ve written in the last two years combined. She is a Text Baby. Luca was a Facebook Baby. Claire was a Blog Baby. I promise a more coherent blog in the next day or two. Until then, I’m co-grandparenting with Grandma Julia the next few days. Thank god grandparents come in sets.

CONGRATS!! Such reviting excitement with every reading moment. All your grandkids are blessed to have a pair of grandparents (I lost my parents many years before my son was born). Enjoy every new moment with a beatiful baby.

I loved reading this story because we just lived through the birth of our first grandchild, a boy. The texting and phone calls were wild as we endured the 9 hour December drive from Minneapolis to St. Louis. So exciting!

my middle was/is thrilled to be middle. After youngest was born she was 'na-na-na' at the dinner table with my mother that night. Na-na-na to the oldest saying she, the middle, got an older brother AND a younger sister and he had only sisters.

Congratulations, Lynn! There is nothing like a new grandbaby. We just had our 9th on Jan. 15, and it is truly special. My best to you and your entire family–especially Cassie who is the lovely mother of this beautiful baby.